ICRC chief warns against normalisation of war

MUSCAT, SEPT 8
Wars must not be allowed to become a tolerated norm, and diplomacy and dialogue must remain at the heart of efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts, Pierre Krähenbühl, Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said during his visit to Oman.
Speaking to the Observer on Sunday, Pierre warned that the Middle East is facing several overlapping and protracted conflicts with devastating consequences for civilians. He said the growing number of conflicts, coupled with their increasingly prolonged nature, was creating an ever-deeper humanitarian crisis across the region.
“People should not accept that wars are inevitable and should also not become accustomed to this multiplication of profoundly problematic impacts on human beings across the region,” he said.
Pierre said there appeared to be a growing tendency for wars to become a tolerated part of everyday life, stressing that this mindset needed to be challenged through stronger political action and renewed commitment to diplomacy.
“It feels like the wars are becoming a tolerated norm again in our lives, whereas we need diplomacy and dialogue to be at the heart of it. Both for conflict prevention and resolution,” he said.
He particularly recognised the Sultanate of Oman’s continued emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy, describing Oman’s approach as important at a time when the region is facing multiple crises.
“This is why I want to recognise the stance that Oman is taking, to keep dialogue, to keep and preserve the belief in the fact that diplomacy should be the first resort. This is what is also in the UN Charter: wars were supposed to be the last resort,” he said.
Pierre said the ICRC's strategic partnership with Oman has developed significantly over the past decade, including cooperation on humanitarian priorities in Yemen and dialogue on the organisation’s work in crisis environments around the world. He said the ICRC highly values the support, consideration and trust it has received from Omani authorities.
The humanitarian consequences of prolonged conflicts, he said, extend far beyond the immediate loss of life. Families are being displaced, homes destroyed and relatives killed, injured or reported missing, while essential services such as healthcare, water infrastructure, bridges and education are also severely affected.
“Every day sees the incredibly deep and traumatic human cost of these different wars that affect the region,” he said, calling for greater political action to prevent further escalation and provide stronger protection for civilians.
The situation around the Strait of Hormuz also illustrates how the consequences of conflict can spread beyond national borders. Pierre said military operations, disruption to safe passage and economic losses affect not only Iran and Gulf countries but can have wider consequences for countries far beyond the region.
He also highlighted concerns for the marine environment, noting that armed conflicts can result in carbon emissions, oil spills, contamination of water sources and damage to marine life. Disruptions to the movement of oil, fertilisers and other essential commodities can also create ripple effects in distant regions, including Africa.
Pierre said the ICRC has witnessed the consequences of long-running conflicts in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Colombia, Myanmar and Afghanistan. He expressed concern that humanitarian organisations have increasingly found themselves working in the same conflict zones for decades.
“The idea was maybe a conflict would last for a few months or a couple of years, and then the operation would be finished and we would move on to another place if there was a need. Now we have permanent entities; it feels endless,” he said.
He also praised Oman’s engagement in seeking humanitarian solutions in Yemen, including its role in facilitating dialogue and the release of detainees, as well as its longstanding engagement in efforts related to Iran.
For individuals, Pierre urged people not to become indifferent to suffering or regard war as inevitable. He said solidarity, empathy, dialogue, humanitarian support and political action can all contribute to keeping human dignity at the centre of responses to conflict.
Pierre is currently travelling through the GCC countries and said the recent conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran has created a different outlook across the Gulf, with countries in the region themselves experiencing the direct and wider consequences of conflict.